Tag Archives: rhyming

Task 4: ” REMIX” and Creative Commons

In hip hop music remixing is quite prudent. It is really a dub version of a track. It serves well as a business that looks to collaborate with different artists. The making of a new track while keeping the name of the old directs the musician or artist for better exposure. There are many benefits. One benefit is that the artist does not have to introduce a new track to the public as the public could not entirely agree with it. The artist might be doing well and generating sales with the first track, it might be a “hit”. This is where collaborations are the key to a great remix in the hip hop industry. I look for this in my music with different artists. It gives me a chance to keep the feel of my track or existing material and then build around it. I could change the style or re harmonize melodies that will look to make more sales with the same song. This also keeps things fresh, if you know what I mean. This is innovation. When you take something old and remake it with better technology. I do this frequently with my producer who looks to take old instrumental sounds and edit them. He then proceeds to give me all the instrumentals he is working with at the time and i go forward with my creativity and write some insightful rhymes.

I am personally in favour of Creative Commons which is really accessible and transparent data that can be shared with other artists or users. The benefit of this is that artists can work and produce movies, music or any other material together with ample resources. This also boosts productivity and development as new projects are implemented to further creativity and available resources giving artists the permission to create on work from the past. These artists sometimes do not have an idea for their own work, with Creative Commons they can “edit” work from other artists provided that legal requirements have been met. However, the main issue in my mind is that in the future do we look to loose our individualism and original thoughts by taking work from the past. People from the past did not edit work or used the Creative Commons concept and most of their work are still recognized today. I still favour Creative Commons, I think editing old material with new technology could be fruitful but at the same time I think as artists it is also important to be original and don’t loose that concept or we would have a world full of edit and re-usable material that could get quite boring down the track and what are we to do when all the editing and remixing have been done over and over. We surely need original work as well, it is significantly important. A good mixture of both would be useful.

Task 3: Culture around Hip hop and how Tupac Influenced my work.

Hip Hop Culture and origins.

Hip hop phenomena has hit global from the 80’s until present. Culture is a large element in the hip hop scene. The hip hop culture is so vast that it influences people from all over the globe. Hip hop culture can be seen everywhere across the world, from Tokyo Japan, Rio De Janeiro Brazil, Paris France and many more but most significantly in the United States where hip hop has become the most dominant culture. It really is a sub- culture within a culture. The reason behind this is because of the message that it is creating. It touches people on so many levels and this enables people to relate to hip hop. The dancing, rhyming, D-Jing, graffiti work/art work and clothing are all aspects of hip hop. This in itself is an example of reaching the people who are easily influenced in this culture. It could be said that with each of these aspects it gives the individual or person a chance of expression.

Hip hop had many stages in American history. It started in the early 1960’s and 70’s. There was a revolution happening in the Bronx, in the streets of New York. It formed as a movement for black American people. They rejoiced and felt what was happening in the community and took that mind frame and put it into music. Ideally it challenged societies views and questioned many things. This all came about from a man by the name of Clive Campbell. Originally from Jamaica he moved to the Bronx in New York where he founded hip hop music. He was down with a writing crew and influenced by his Jamaican roots he put it into his music by djing locally. Most artists back then in the hip hop scene could not get on the mic and start rhyming unless they were political present in some sort of political party representing the community. Soon many Dj’s followed and with that hip hop evolved.

Many black American people were getting their message across through hip hop music. On the mic, many expressed about the violence, drugs, crime, poverty, abandoned buildings and police harassment. They asked America why. Why have there not been any incidents to help their people, rather just forgotten? At that point Hip Hop became their CNN, their dateline and to express what is “really” happening in their communities. The attitude of the youth soon became rebellious towards the American society as nothing had been done by America. Into the 80’s and hip hop still remained political. I was born in the early 8o’s and in 1988 i came to Australia and settled in Melbourne. At this point Hip hop had already reached global. I soon came across tapes and vinyls as there were no DVDs or CD’s back then. I did not listen to political hip hop as much, simply because i grew up in a generation where there was a transition of political hip hop to gangster rap/hip hop. At this moment in time was my introduction to Hip hop as i was only 10 years of age, keeping in mind that in the early 90’s hip hop was all over TV. Australian TV programs and music channels played American hip hop constantly. Rage and Video Hits provided most of it in Australia. In America it was firstly BET and VH1 and now more recently MTV, so I grew up aware and with community conscience. Learning at a young age, listening to hip hop opened my mind!

In Australia the Hip hop culture is not as prominent as that of its distant neighbour. (United States). However, it is there. There are a few Australian Hip hop artists who have been involved in the last decade. Hill Top Hoods are an Australian hip hop group that have emerged in the scene. They have numerous songs at number 1 spot in the underground Australian charts. That’s right, underground charts. Bet you didn’t know of that. Most hip hop songs don’t get played on public radio stations as hip hop in Australia is a very under ground movement but at times Australian hip hop could be heard on Triple J Unearthed, which is an Australian based radio station. Here is the link: http://www.triplejunearthed.com/

Hip hop culture gives me freedom of expression. A freedom to speak what i feel and what i think. To touch on society and issues about the community. Things that an ideal person in an ideal world could not speak about unless a part of the government or body. I guess it also gives me a chance to send out a positive message to all that listen to my music.

The way I look to bring hip hop is mainly through cultural aspects. Targeting a young culture with hip hop would be ideally my target market when looking to increase sales and create a foundation. I believe the larger demographic are mostly younger people involved with hip hop in comparison to the older generation. The lyrics i use must relate to young people and their views on society, as I am a very informative artist i believe i can reach these people. I am not saying that I am just targeting the youth. Anybody can listen to my music and if i reach you or captivate you in some way then I have succeeded.

Tupac is my influence

I have many influential people i look up to and admire in the music business. Bob Marley, John Lennon and some of the more recent including Common etc. It mostly involves around artists, producers, and entrepreneurs that go into business for themselves. One such hip hop artist is the poet, activist, prophet and revolutionary figure by the name of Tupac Shakur. To me he is the most inspirational, honest and also most complex soul behind a mix of controversial arguments. He is sometimes misunderstood simply because he is not understood. However, if someone would listen to his music and take in his lyrics then that person will see what kind of individual he remained at his time and the time of his passing. I think everyone in this world know who he is and what he delivered in his music. The message he portrayed and believed. Maybe that is why he is the most respected hip hop artist of all time. He could reach people in all forms through music. I guess that was his gift.

Tupac and Mike Tyson.

Tupac, Sting and Madonna.

I still don’t believe until today there has been another such influential person in the music business. Maybe only Elvis or Bob Marley before him.

This is exactly what i pursue in my music career. To be insightful and grasp the audience, to deliver the truth even if i suffer in a mix of controversies and ideologies created by the media and public. When I get on the Mic i try to emphasize messages of unity, verbal skill, life lessons, conflicts, social issues or activism instead of messages of material wealth or violence.

Tupac sold records that went 5 times platinum or gold. He spoke about the uncensored voice of truth, his hardships and how he fought for fame and fortune and became the number one selling hip hop artist of all time. He touched millions of young people who shared his vision. Who shared this hope. I don’t feel i could explain him in my own words it could take me 10 pages. Feel free to watch the Tupac Resurrection DVD I have posted below to understand how he was claimed to be the most single influential person in modern history and I believe he still remains to be just that. This documentary is also considered to be one of the best documentaries ever made! I cannot post the entire DVD for copy-write reasons so i advice if you want to know about Tupac and why he has become such a large influential and cultural person even after his death in 96, then buy or borrow this DVD. Tupac also acted in movies. Some of them include; Juice, Gang related, Bullet, Above the Rim and Gridlock.